318:
both cases the extent of the power and influence wielded by these officials over Leo appears to have been exaggerated. This is in part due to the hostility towards them in later sources, and of the desire of some of them to pin the blame for the reign's failures on Leo's supposedly all-powerful subordinates. Tougher argued that the gradual rise and abrupt fall of
Samonas illustrate that, far from conforming to his traditional image of a weak and easily dominated emperor, Leo remained in control: it was the emperor's conscious patronage and support that gave such men their great power, and when it was withdrawn, their authority vanished. Samona's role as Leo's "security chief", a view adopted by a number of scholars (most prominently
275:
197:
28:
297:. As the imperial couple took an increased liking to Constantine, however, Samonas began to fear for his own influence and position. He first claimed that Constantine and the empress were having an affair. Leo initially believed the accusations, and had Constantine banished to a monastery. Soon, however, Leo began to miss his new favourite, and had him restored to his service in the palace. Samonas then resorted to another scheme: with his secretary, he produced a
187:, in 899, his relatives plotted to overthrow Leo in a bid to preserve their power and influence. Their conspiracy, however, was betrayed by Samonas to Leo: the members of the Zaoutzes clan were deprived of their titles and wealth and exiled, but Samonas was rewarded by receiving one third of their fortune and being taken into imperial service as
317:
If
Stylianos Zaoutzes has traditionally been seen by historians as having dominated the first half of Leo's reign, Samonas is often marked as the dominant figure in the second half, namely the period from circa 900 until his own downfall in 908. According to the Byzantinist Shaun Tougher, however, in
210:
in 900. By 903, he had apparently become, in the words of Shaun
Tougher, "Leo's trusted right-hand man". He seems to have been particularly involved in security and intelligence issues, a role stressed by several scholars who have dealt with his life. In 904, however, Samonas was involved in a
301:, supposedly written by Constantine, which insulted the emperor, and arranged for Leo to read it. His machinations, however, were betrayed by one of his fellow conspirators, and Samonas was dismissed,
261:
over the emperor's tetragamy, Samonas was the chief supporter of Leo. As a token of gratitude, probably after the deposition of
Mystikos in early 907, he was promoted to the supreme eunuch post of
175:, apparently the son of a distinguished family (his father served as ambassador to Byzantium in 908). Captured by the Byzantines, he was made a eunuch and entered service in the household of
254:(the father of Constantine Doukas who had arrested Samonas in 904) and Eustathios Argyros. At the same time, throughout the prolonged confrontation of Leo with the
322:) has also been questioned by Tougher, since it relies chiefly on circumstantial literary evidence from a later and distinctly hostile
231:. Although he was not acquitted, the emperor's continued favour meant that he was only mildly punished by four months of house arrest.
798:
251:
773:
687:
596:
575:
565:
289:
Samonas's own downfall, however, would come soon after. In 907, in a bid to ingratiate himself with Leo's fourth wife,
250:. In 906–907, he played an important but shadowy role in the disgrace, defection, and eventual deaths of the generals
808:
246:. Another unusual mark of imperial favour occurred in 906, when Samonas was made godfather to Leo's son and heir,
219:
and made for the East, hoping apparently to reach his native lands. He was, however, prevented from crossing the
274:
818:
803:
793:
783:
224:
813:
319:
255:
223:, and sought refuge in the monastery of the Holy Cross at Siricha. There, he was in the end captured by
196:
27:
778:
305:, and banished to the monastery of Martinakios in summer of 908. Constantine succeeded him as imperial
788:
768:
750:
294:
92:
79:
8:
664:
656:
176:
740:
683:
668:
592:
571:
561:
258:
697:
Rydén, Lennart (1984). "The
Portrait of the Arab Samonas in Byzantine Literature".
648:
627:
290:
228:
160:
156:
48:
677:
586:
247:
242:
206:
180:
735:
679:
The
Perfect Servant: Eunuchs and the Social Construction of Gender in Byzantium
263:
216:
189:
184:
133:
43:
183:(r. 886–912). After the death of both Stylianos and his daughter, the Empress
762:
682:. Chicago, Illinois and London, United Kingdom: University of Chicago Press.
615:
631:
234:
As soon as he was released, Samonas's career resumed its upward path: named
204:
Promoted rapidly after his entry into Leo's personal service, he was made a
323:
268:
220:
293:, he presented her with a gift in the person of his own eunuch servant,
660:
639:
Jenkins, Romilly James Heald (April 1948). "The 'Flight' of
Samonas".
236:
212:
652:
298:
172:
302:
279:
702:
152:
149:
138:
179:, the powerful chief minister and father-in-law of Emperor
159:
and became one of the most influential officials of the
240:, the highest court rank open to a eunuch, he was made
267:, which had lain vacant since the end of the reign of
200:
Samonas informs the
Emperor Leo of a plot to kill him.
32:
Samonas inciting
Emperor Leo against Andronikos Doukas
588:The Reign of Leo VI (886–912): Politics and People
760:
618:(1935). "Un ministre arabe à Byzance: Samonas".
570:. New York and Oxford: Oxford University Press.
211:bizarre episode: on the pretext of visiting a
282:at the orders of Samonas, miniature from the
163:during the first decade of the 10th century.
380:
378:
647:(2). Medieval Academy of America: 217–235.
26:
375:
353:
351:
349:
347:
345:
343:
675:
273:
195:
638:
584:
560:
544:
532:
520:
508:
496:
484:
472:
460:
448:
436:
424:
412:
400:
396:
384:
369:
357:
761:
340:
696:
614:
309:. Nothing further is known of him.
13:
607:
567:The Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium
227:, and brought to trial before the
14:
830:
171:Samonas was born in circa 875 in
799:Byzantine people of Arab descent
278:Constantine the Paphlagonian is
538:
526:
514:
502:
490:
478:
466:
454:
442:
430:
418:
406:
390:
363:
1:
774:10th-century Byzantine people
723:No appointments under Basil I
676:Ringrose, Kathryn M. (2003).
329:
312:
145:
415:, pp. 208–209, 214–215.
334:
166:
7:
256:Patriarch of Constantinople
10:
835:
553:
155:, who was captured by the
139:
747:
732:
718:
713:
137:
123:
115:
107:
102:
98:
86:
73:
65:
54:
41:
37:
25:
18:
809:10th-century Arab people
451:, pp. 209–210, 213.
148:875 – after 908) was an
632:10.3406/rebyz.1935.2837
585:Tougher, Shaun (1997).
286:
201:
277:
199:
751:Constantine Barbaros
547:, pp. 197, 214.
499:, pp. 198, 201.
463:, pp. 160, 198.
427:, pp. 198, 209.
403:, pp. 149, 197.
295:Constantine Barbaros
93:Constantine Barbaros
80:Basil the Macedonian
819:10th-century slaves
804:People from Malatya
794:10th-century deaths
784:Byzantine courtiers
535:, pp. 234–235.
523:, pp. 97, 234.
511:, pp. 89, 198.
487:, pp. 200–201.
82:(under Michael III)
814:9th-century slaves
726:Title last held by
705:, Greece: 101–108.
562:Kazhdan, Alexander
287:
225:Constantine Doukas
202:
177:Stylianos Zaoutzes
779:Byzantine eunuchs
757:
756:
748:Succeeded by
741:Byzantine emperor
689:978-0-226-72015-9
598:978-9-00-410811-0
591:. Leiden: Brill.
577:978-0-19-504652-6
259:Nicholas Mystikos
252:Andronikos Doukas
127:
126:
826:
711:
710:
706:
693:
672:
635:
602:
581:
548:
542:
536:
530:
524:
518:
512:
506:
500:
494:
488:
482:
476:
470:
464:
458:
452:
446:
440:
434:
428:
422:
416:
410:
404:
399:, p. 2220;
394:
388:
382:
373:
367:
361:
355:
291:Zoe Karbonopsina
284:Madrid Skylitzes
229:Byzantine Senate
161:Byzantine Empire
147:
143:
142:
141:
103:Personal details
89:
76:
59:
49:Byzantine Empire
30:
16:
15:
834:
833:
829:
828:
827:
825:
824:
823:
759:
758:
753:
744:
727:
724:
709:
690:
653:10.2307/2852953
626:(36): 307–318.
610:
608:Further reading
605:
599:
578:
556:
551:
543:
539:
531:
527:
519:
515:
507:
503:
495:
491:
483:
479:
471:
467:
459:
455:
447:
443:
435:
431:
423:
419:
411:
407:
395:
391:
383:
376:
368:
364:
360:, p. 1835.
356:
341:
337:
332:
320:Romilly Jenkins
315:
243:protovestiarios
207:protospatharios
181:Leo VI the Wise
169:
87:
74:
69:Leo VI the Wise
60:
55:
33:
21:
12:
11:
5:
832:
822:
821:
816:
811:
806:
801:
796:
791:
789:Parakoimomenoi
786:
781:
776:
771:
755:
754:
749:
746:
736:Parakoimomenos
731:
725:
722:
716:
715:
714:Court offices
708:
707:
699:Graeco-Arabica
694:
688:
673:
636:
620:Échos d'Orient
616:Janin, Raymond
611:
609:
606:
604:
603:
597:
582:
576:
564:, ed. (1991).
557:
555:
552:
550:
549:
537:
525:
513:
501:
489:
477:
475:, p. 200.
465:
453:
441:
439:, p. 198.
429:
417:
405:
389:
387:, p. 197.
374:
372:, p. 215.
362:
338:
336:
333:
331:
328:
314:
311:
307:parakoimomenos
271:(r. 842–867).
264:parakoimomenos
217:Constantinople
190:koubikoularios
185:Zoe Zaoutzaina
168:
165:
125:
124:
121:
120:
117:
113:
112:
109:
105:
104:
100:
99:
96:
95:
90:
84:
83:
77:
71:
70:
67:
63:
62:
52:
51:
44:Parakoimomenos
39:
38:
35:
34:
31:
23:
22:
19:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
831:
820:
817:
815:
812:
810:
807:
805:
802:
800:
797:
795:
792:
790:
787:
785:
782:
780:
777:
775:
772:
770:
767:
766:
764:
752:
743:
742:
738:
737:
730:
721:
717:
712:
704:
700:
695:
691:
685:
681:
680:
674:
670:
666:
662:
658:
654:
650:
646:
642:
637:
633:
629:
625:
622:(in French).
621:
617:
613:
612:
600:
594:
590:
589:
583:
579:
573:
569:
568:
563:
559:
558:
546:
541:
534:
529:
522:
517:
510:
505:
498:
493:
486:
481:
474:
469:
462:
457:
450:
445:
438:
433:
426:
421:
414:
409:
402:
398:
393:
386:
381:
379:
371:
366:
359:
354:
352:
350:
348:
346:
344:
339:
327:
325:
321:
310:
308:
304:
300:
296:
292:
285:
281:
276:
272:
270:
266:
265:
260:
257:
253:
249:
245:
244:
239:
238:
232:
230:
226:
222:
218:
215:, he escaped
214:
209:
208:
198:
194:
192:
191:
186:
182:
178:
174:
164:
162:
158:
154:
151:
135:
131:
122:
118:
114:
110:
106:
101:
97:
94:
91:
85:
81:
78:
72:
68:
64:
58:
53:
50:
46:
45:
40:
36:
29:
24:
17:
734:
733:
728:
719:
698:
678:
644:
640:
623:
619:
587:
566:
545:Tougher 1997
540:
533:Tougher 1997
528:
521:Tougher 1997
516:
509:Tougher 1997
504:
497:Tougher 1997
492:
485:Tougher 1997
480:
473:Tougher 1997
468:
461:Tougher 1997
456:
449:Tougher 1997
444:
437:Tougher 1997
432:
425:Tougher 1997
420:
413:Tougher 1997
408:
401:Tougher 1997
397:Kazhdan 1991
392:
385:Tougher 1997
370:Tougher 1997
365:
358:Kazhdan 1991
316:
306:
288:
283:
262:
241:
235:
233:
205:
203:
188:
170:
129:
128:
88:Succeeded by
56:
42:
769:870s births
324:hagiography
269:Michael III
248:Constantine
221:Halys River
75:Preceded by
763:Categories
729:Rentakios
330:References
313:Assessment
157:Byzantines
669:159456620
335:Citations
237:patrikios
213:monastery
167:Biography
119:after 908
57:In office
745:907–908
641:Speculum
303:tonsured
299:pamphlet
280:tonsured
173:Melitene
739:of the
661:2852953
554:Sources
140:Σαμῶνας
130:Samonas
66:Monarch
61:907–908
47:of the
20:Samonas
720:Vacant
703:Athens
686:
667:
659:
595:
574:
153:eunuch
111:c. 875
701:(3).
665:S2CID
657:JSTOR
134:Greek
684:ISBN
593:ISBN
572:ISBN
150:Arab
116:Died
108:Born
649:doi
628:doi
765::
663:.
655:.
645:23
643:.
624:34
377:^
342:^
326:.
193:.
146:c.
144:,
136::
692:.
671:.
651::
634:.
630::
601:.
580:.
132:(
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
